Backpackers’ experiences with smartphones usage in Ghana

Abstract

Mobile phones have become an important constituent of backpackers’ travel experiences—reconstructing their ideology and sociality in the virtual world. Though backpacking is increasingly becoming popular in Africa, it remains unexplored in that context. The study used a concurrent embedded mixed methods design in which 567 backpackers were studied using a questionnaire and 15 others using in-depth interviews. The results show that both positive experiences relative to social interactions and entertainment and adverse experiences relative destination infrastructure, safety and security and mobile service quality and cost characterized backpackers’ experiences of using their smartphones abroad. The theoretical and managerial implications of the study are presented.